Coq au vin

Name: Coq au vin
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1200 g Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on (about 8); 25 g Plain flour; 5 g Salt; 1 g Black pepper; 15 ml Vegetable oil; 150 g Bacon lardons; 300 g Shallots, peeled, left whole; 200 g Carrots, thickly sliced; 0.3 Garlic, crushed; 20 g Tomato purée; 600 ml Red wine, a fruity, not-too-heavy red; 2 g Dried thyme; 1 g Bay leaves, 2 leaves; 250 g Mushrooms, halved; 20 g Butter; 8 g Fresh parsley, chopped; 800 g New potatoes

The French bistro classic: chicken slowly braised in red wine with bacon, shallots, mushrooms and thyme until the sauce is rich and glossy. The wine cooks into the sauce; see the tweaks for an alcohol-free pot.

Ingredients

1200 g Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on (about 8)
25 g Plain flour
5 g Salt
1 g Black pepper
15 ml Vegetable oil
150 g Bacon lardons
300 g Shallots, peeled, left whole
200 g Carrots, thickly sliced
0.3 Garlic, crushed
20 g Tomato purée
600 ml Red wine, a fruity, not-too-heavy red
2 g Dried thyme
1 g Bay leaves, 2 leaves
250 g Mushrooms, halved
20 g Butter
8 g Fresh parsley, chopped
800 g New potatoes

Method

Season the chicken and dust it with the flour. Brown it well, skin side first, in the oil in a large casserole. Lift out.
Fry the lardons and shallots in the same pan until golden, then add the carrots and garlic and stir in the tomato purée.
Pour in the wine, scraping up the sticky bits, add the thyme and bay and return the chicken, skin side up. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently until the chicken is tender.
Near the end, fry the mushrooms in the butter in a frying pan until golden, then stir them into the casserole.
Boil the new potatoes in salted water until tender.
Lift out the chicken, boil the sauce for a few minutes to thicken if needed, then return the chicken, scatter with parsley and serve with the potatoes.